Liz settles lawsuit
LOS ANGELES: Elizabeth Taylor has settled a lawsuit filed by her former landscaper, who accused her of firing him after he refused sexual advances from Taylor’s butler. Willem Van Muyden alleged in a lawsuit filed last year in Superior Court that he was fired without being paid $294,000 he was owed for 10 years of gardening work. Van Muyden, who was fired in September 2002, alleged that Taylor dismissed him after her butler, Jean-Luc Lacquement, urged her to in retaliation for Van Muyden’s sexual rejection. The settlement was announced Tuesday. No terms were released. Taylor’s attorney, Tom Hoberman, said the settlement didn’t include any money. He said a ruling on Van Muyden’s legal expenses is still pending. Calls to Van Muyden’s attorney were not immediately returned. — AP